Oral diseases affect nearly 3.7 billion people worldwide,1 with conditions such as untreated dental caries and periodontal diseases impacting more than 2 billion and 1 billion individuals, respectively, thus imposing significant functional, social, and economic burdens. Despite the dental profession's progress in understanding the etiopathogenesis of dental caries and periodontal diseases, the global burden of these disorders remains high, with case numbers increasing due to population growth and aging. Unfortunately, this trend is expected to continue. Projections for the United Kingdom, for example, suggest that by 2050, over 60% of the adult population aged 60 or older will have untreated dental caries, and more than half will be affected by periodontal diseases. The expected increase in these conditions poses a threat to dentists' ability to provide curative care to all affected patients, highlighting the need to focus on actions toward health promotion and disease prevention.
Cristina Cunha Villar (Mon,) studied this question.